The addition of Ty Adcock to the bullpen could mean several things for the San Diego Padres. It could be a sign the team is not going to rest on the success of the past and look to build on a strength. It could mean that Mason Miller or Adrian Morejon, perhaps both, will be given an opportunity to return to the starting rotation. It could also mean general manager is looking to improve his team through trades and he has a bevy of bullpen arms that could be enticing to other teams, and he may need to have players ready to step in to newly vacated roles. It seems inevitable that the Frair Faithful will get some answers with Winter Meetings taking place next week.

Padres News:

AJ Cassavell of Padres.com provides his thoughts on some of the questions many San Diego fans have been asking. Is Mason Miller going to be a starter? Is a Michael King return possible? Is there any chance the Padres swing big and land Kyle Schwarber? There are other questions asked and answered, but these seem to be most commonly asked among the fanbase.

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Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune looks at the reliever prospects in the San Diego organization, and it should be no surprise to the Friar Faithful that he lists Bradgley Rodriguez as the top reliever prospect to watch heading into the 2026 season.

There seems to be a lot of interest in free agent pitcher Michael King and rightfully so. It does appear that potential suitors are a bit weary of the nerve issue that caused him to miss time last season, and that is suppressing his market in terms of years and money. However, several teams have shown interest, to include the Padres, but no one team has emerged as the top candidate to land the right-hander.

Baseball News:

Could the Miami Marlins, who have shown interest in adding a pitcher like King, look to deal their top pitchers this offseason? Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic have heard that Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera are drawing attention from teams around the league and could be available for the right price.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic provided his Winter Meetings wish list, which includes free-agent signings and possible trades that he would like to see happen next week in Orlando, Fla. The one that may interest fans in San Diego is his trade idea of catcher Ethan Salas and right-handed pitchers Miguel Mendez, Humberto Cruz and Bradgley Rodriguez for starters Drew Rasmussen and Shane Baz to help the Padres address their rotation needs.

Player evaluations are a science that many fans speculate about. MLB scouts, front offices and general managers have to take several factors into account before deciding to draft/sign a player or pursue a player in free agency. Eno Sarris and Chandler Rome of The Athletic provide insight into how those evaluations happen and how decisions are made.

Former Padres prospect and one-time starter Mackenzie Gore, now with the Washington Nationals, is drawing trade interest from several teams. It has been reported that the young lefty is expected to be dealt in the coming days, and with so many teams in search of starting pitching the top suitor is anyone’s guess.